Conduit bending guide



March 19, 1957 E. F. GREGORY 2,735,477

CONDUIT BENDING GUIDE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 16, 1955 March 19,1957 E. F. GREGORY 2,735,477

CONDUIT BENDING GUIDE Filed Sept. 16, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Earl F.Gregor INVEN TOR.

2,785,477 Patented Mar. 19, 1957 v This invention relates to a deviceespecially adapted to be utilized in conjunction with bending pipes andother similar conduits, and has for its primary object the"provision ofmeans for providing a guide adapted to'enable true radius bends to bemade in a pipe in a convenient manner.

The construction of this invention features a transparent block having atube with an air bubble therein, with the tube arranged in a suitablearc. The transparent block has a slot therein for the reception of cardswhich have indicia thereon cooperating with the bubble in the tube toprovide an indication to the user of the number of bends or presseswhich must be made .in a pipe at given points to arrive at the desiredbend of the radius desired.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a conduitbending guide which employs novel means for adjustment so as to assurethat it can be ass cured on the pipe to be bent in a selected andinitial position and which employs means for allowing differentcardw-having varying indicia thereon to be readily substituted for oneanother so as to enable the device to be utilized in forming bends ofvarying curvatures.

Still further objects and features of this invention reside in theprovision of a conduit bending guide that is simple in construction,highly efiicient in operation, relatively inexpensive to manufacture,and efiicient in use.

These, together with the various ancillary objects and features of theinvention which will become apparent as the following descriptionproceeds, are attained by this conduit bending guide, a preferredembodiment of which has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings,by way of example only, wherein:

Figure l is a perspective view illustrating the conduit bending guide asassociated with a length of pipe and operatively installed on a worktable for use in bending the pipe to the desired radius;

Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective View of the conduit bending guide;

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view as taken along the planeof line 3-3 in Figure 2 illustrating the relative position of the slotand the arcuate tube;

Figure 4 is an enlarged horizontal sectional detail view as taken alongthe plane of line 44 in Figure 2 illustrating in particular the meansutilized for positioning the conduit bending guide on a pipe or likemember;

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional detail view as taken along the planeof line 5- in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is an elevational view of one of the cards utilized inconjunction with the present invention; and

Figure 7 is a rear elevational view of the card shown in Figure 6.

With continuing reference to the accompanying draw ings wherein likereference numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views,reference numeral 10 generally designates the conduit bending guidewhich is adapted to be utilized to enable a section of pipe, as at 12,to be bent to the desired radius of curvature. In

use, the conduit bending guide is suitably mounted on the section ofpipe 12 which is secured in a vise 14. The vise 14 has an upper clampingmember 16 as well as a lower clamping member 18 and is adjusted by athreaded member 20 in the conventional manner of a clamp press. The vise14 is slidably mounted on a table 22 of suitable length which has aguide bar 24 mounted thereon in any convenient manner. The vise 14 isadapted to engage the guide bar 24 to assure its travel in the desireddirection.

Mounted on the table 22 is a winch 26 having a drum 28 about which achain or a cable 30 has an end secured.

The drum 28 is mounted for rotation on suitable bearing mounts 3t) and32 through which the shaft 24 on which the drum 28 is secured extends. Ahandle 36 is provided for rotating the shaft 34 and hence the drum 28.The other end of the chain or cable 30 is secured to the vise M and uponrotation of the shaft 34 and hence the drum 28, the vise 14 will bemoved toward the winch suitably guided by the guide bar 24.

Secured on the table 22 and adapted to clampingly engage the pipe orconduit 12 is a conventional pipe bender 46. As the pipe 12 is moved byaction of the winch 26, the pipe bender 40 is adapted to make successivebends in the pipe.

In order to inform the user of the conduit bending guide it) of thedesired amount of movement for the pipe 14 and the desired amount ofbend to be applied on the pipe, the guide 10 is secured about the pipe12. This conduit bending guide includes a lower mounting plate 42 havinga pair of studs 44 and 46 extending outwardly from one end portionthereof. Positioned about this end portion are chains 48, the ends ofwhich have springs 5t) and 52 secured thereto. The springs 56 and 52have hook-like ends 54 and 56 engageable within apertures 58 and 68 inthe lower mounting plate 42. The lower mounting plate 42 is preferablyof channel shape in construction to provide suitable engagement with thepipe 12 independent of the diameter of the pipe.

Secured to and spaced from the lower mounting plate 42 is an uppermounting plate 62. Suitable spacer fasteners 64 and 66 hold one end ofthe upper mounting plate 62 in spaced relationship from the lowermounting plate 42. However, a bolt 68 extends through suitable alignedapertures in the upper and lower mounting plates 62 and 42 respectivelyand a wing nut 70 is used for engagement about the threaded fastener orbolt 68. Positioned about the bolt 68 and resiliently yieldinglyengaging the upper surface of the lower mounting plate 42 and the lowersurface of the upper mounting plate 62 is a spring 72. Hence, byutilization of the nut 70, the upper mounting plate 62 can be suitablyangularly adjusted with respect to the lower mounting plate 42, thefasteners 64 and 66 not being of such rigidity as to prevent thisadjustment.

Bonded to the upper mounting plate 62 or otherwise secured thereto is ablock 76 of any suitable transparent plastic material in which anarcuate tube 78 is embedded. The tube is filled with a suitable fluid,such as oil or the like, and an air bubble 80 is provided in the fluid.The tube 78 is shaped to conform to a portion of a circle of selectedradius.

The transparent block 7 6 is provided with a substantially rectangularslot 82 therein of sutficient size so as to receive an indicator card 84in the slot. The slot 82 is positioned to the rear of the arcuate tube78 and is provided with an enlarged portion 86 for enabling the removaland replacement of the cards 84.

Each of the cards 84 is provided with. suitable indicia thereon. Thisindicia is in the form of radius marks 90 for indicating the angularrelationship of the guide for each successive bend of the bendingapparatus 40. On the obverse side of the card 84, there is shown otherindicia 92 having suitable graduations 94 for indicating the distancethat the pipe ILZShOllld be moved "for each successive bend ofthe'bending apparatus 4%? to form the bend desired.

In use, after the desired card 84 has been selected so as to obtain thebend desired, the guide is positioned on the pipe with the bubble 8i)adjusted to zero. Then, a first press is made and the pipe is then movedin accordance with the indicia 94 the proper distance, at which timeanother press is made until the bubble centers on the radial indicia 90indicated as the first line. Then, successive movements and successivepresses are made until the conduit is for-med in the shape desired.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A conduit bending guide comprising a lower mounting plate, means forsecuring said lower mounting plate on a conduit, an upper mounting platecarried by said lower mounting plate, a transparent block secured onsaid upper mounting plate, said block having a slot therein forreceiving an indicator card, an arcuate tube embedded in said block,said tube being substantially filled with fluid to form an air bubble insaid tube, and means for adjusting said upper mounting plate withrespect to said lower mounting plate.

2. A conduit bending guide comprising a lower mountingiplate, means forsecuring said lower mounting plate on a conduit, "an upper mountingplate carried by said lower mounting plate, a transparent block securedon said upper mounting plate, said block having a slot therein forreceiving an iridicator card, an arcuate tube embedded in said block,said tube being substantially filled with fluid to form an air bubble insaid tube, an indicator card in said slot, said indicator card havingindicia thereon, said indicia being arranged in alignment with saidarcuate tube, and means for adjusting said upper mounting plate withrespect to said lower mounting plate.

3. A conduit bending guide comprising a lower mounting plate, means forsecuring said lower mounting plate on a conduit, an upper mounting platecarried by said lower mounting plate, a transparent block secured on'said upper mounting plate, said block having a slot therein forreceiving an indicator card, an arcuate tube embedded said block, saidtube being substantially filled with liuid to form an air bubble in saidtube, an indicator card in said slot, said indicator card having indiciathereon, said indicia being arranged in alignment with said arcuatetube, said means for securing said lower mounting plate on a conduitincluding chains secured to said lower mouting plate at one edge portionthereof, said lower mounting plate having apertures therein 'adja'ce'iitanother edge portion thereof, and springs secured "to said chains, saidsprings having hook ends enga'geable in said apertures, and means foradjusting said upper mounting plate with respect to said lower mountingplate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,072,779 Torbert Mar. 2, 1937 2,656,607 Harding Oct. 27, 1933 FOREIGNPATENTS 559,325 Great Britain Feb. 14, 1 9 44 452,152 :Switzerland Oct.10, {9419 280,539 Switzerland May 1, -2

